Topkapı Palace

Our second venture to Sultanahmet (first to come later) included a stop at Topkapı Palace (yup, that's an i without a dot!). The Palace is a beautiful site with breathtaking views of the Bosphorus and it features quite a few buildings, several of which house historical treasures and relics.

Joe, the strait, and two continents

The palace (saray [sah-rye] in Turkish) is close to the Aya Sofya, accessed through a large gated wall. Some of the grounds you are free to wander through. They offer tall trees, open green space and one small view of the strait. We saw a bridal party here, so I bet this is a common place to have wedding pictures taken.

Beyond the ticket counter, the grounds have the feel of a really old, prestigious college campus. Walkways zig-zag to connect the columned buildings on the perimeter. The colonnades provide shade (great in the blazing summer sun!). Enormous ancient trees dot the lawns and many people get their picture taken standing inside them.

We saw a few types of rooms in the palace, but didn’t really learn much about their use(s).

1. Rooms where the jewels/sacred treasures are now displayed. These rooms are made of mortared stone and decorated with alcoves, carvings, and the ceilings/moldings were plaster (I think) outlined in blue and red paint, which was quite beautiful. We weren’t allowed to take pictures in these rooms, but we saw lots of gilded and jeweled objects, including water flasks, aigrettes, swords, thrones, a crib, etc. Also on display are some fine kaftans worn by the Sultans. Most of these pieces are hundreds of years old and are very well-preserved. The patterns are absolutely beautiful.

TILES

2. Tiled rooms - Beyond the stone rooms there are many tiled rooms that seem more like living spaces and that aren’t as old as the other rooms. One room was a library, one was a room for eating sorbet (?), and another was a ceremonial circumcision room. But most of the rooms look the same and there aren’t many placards or brochures to read about them. The tiled rooms are gorgeous but a bit overwhelming since, in that section at least, there are tiles EVERYWHERE.

Though the rooms of treasures were crowded, the views from the gardens looking over the water and out to both the European and Asian sides of Istanbul are stunning. It's no surprise the Sultans chose this location.

Sorry, didn't get a picture of Muhammed's hair, so here's Joe by a building

The sacred relics were another attraction that is unique to Topkapi. In glass cases, they feature many objects from Mecca. (We think. The line for this room was long and very pushy. We didn’t get to read much about the objects and we quickly grew bored with it‑-and annoyed by many aggressive tourists.) Included in the sacred relics room is Moses' staff, David’s sword, somebody’s arm, Muhammed’s hair, etc. No comment.

The section of the museum that featured the kitchens was closed, and we overheard a guide say renovations have been conducted there for more than 2 years now. The guide also said he usually spends 2 hours in the kitchens because they’re so interesting. Welcome to Turkey.

Didn’t see the Harem‑-that’s another ticket and will be a different trip for us.

There were also some small buildings on the grounds that looked to be inspired by French architecture, but again, no placards or information about these things.

In sum: We enjoyed our visit to Topkapı Palace, but we wished there were more information provided. There are many tour guides plying their trade there, but I know from my time in Rome that often certified guides don’t really know what they’re talking about. 

Check out more pictures under the Photos tab!

Görüşürüz! (See 'ya later!)